US Embassy Says Visa Is a Privilege, Not a Right, After Wole Soyinka’s Denial

The United States Embassy in Lagos has said visas are a privilege, not a right, following the withdrawal of Prof. Wole Soyinka’s US visa.

A spokesperson from the Consulate, Julia McKay, explained that visa decisions are confidential but can be revoked anytime at the discretion of the US government.

Visas are a privilege, not a right. Every country decides who enters its borders,” she said.

Soyinka, 91, had revealed that his B1/B2 visa was revoked through a letter dated October 23, 2025. Speaking in Lagos, he told journalists that he currently has no visa and is unsure why it was withdrawn.

The Nobel laureate recalled two minor incidents from decades ago, one involving undeclared chili peppers at a US airport and another, a confrontation with police over racism in Atlanta, but said he doubts they caused the revocation.

Soyinka, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986, said the decision surprised him, especially given his long academic ties with US universities.